ContentsSafety and Security........................... 61
Occupant safety................................... 62
Air bags .......................................... 63
Seat belts ....................................... 69
Active head restraints .................... 73
Children in the vehicle .................... 74
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 85
Panic alarm .......................................... 86
Activating ....................................... 86
Deactivating ................................... 86
Driving safety systems ......................... 87
ABS ................................................ 87
BAS ................................................ 89
ESP
®.............................................. 90
Anti-theft systems................................ 93
Immobilizer..................................... 93
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 93
Tow-away alarm* ........................... 95
Controls in detail............................... 97
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 103
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 110
Opening the trunk ........................ 111
Closing the trunk.......................... 113
Trunk emergency release ............. 118
Valet locking ................................ 119
Automatic central locking ............ 120
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 121
Seats ................................................. 122
Front seat active head restraints . 122
Rear seat head restraints ............. 122
Multicontour seat* ....................... 125
Seat heating* ............................... 126
Seat ventilation* .......................... 127
Memory function ............................... 128
Storing positions into memory ..... 129
Recalling positions from memory . 129
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position................. 130Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* (CLK with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps)................. 135
Hazard warning flasher ................ 137
Interior lighting ............................ 138
Door entry lamps ......................... 139
Trunk lamp ................................... 139
Instrument cluster ............................. 140
Instrument cluster illumination .... 140
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 141
Trip odometer .............................. 141
Tachometer.................................. 142
Clock............................................ 142
Outside temperature indicator ..... 142
Control system .................................. 143
Multifunction display.................... 144
Multifunction steering wheel........ 144
Menus .......................................... 146
Standard display menu ................ 148
AUDIO menu ................................ 149
NAV* menu .................................. 150
Vehicle status
message memory menu ............... 151
Contents
Settings menu .............................. 152
Trip computer menu..................... 165
TEL menu* ................................... 167
Automatic transmission ..................... 170
Gear selector lever position ......... 172
Driving tips ................................... 174
Gear ranges ................................. 175
Automatic shift program .............. 176
Gear selector lever
one-touch gearshifting................. 177
Steering wheel gearshift
control one-touch
gearshifting (CLK 500) ................. 178
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 179
Good visibility .................................... 180
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 180
Rear view mirrors ......................... 180
Sun visors .................................... 183
Rear window sunshade*
(Canada only) ............................... 184
Rear window defroster ................. 185
Climate control (CLK 350) ................. 186
Deactivating the
climate control system................. 189Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 189
Setting the temperature................ 190
Adjusting air distribution............... 190
Adjusting air volume ..................... 191
Front defroster.............................. 191
Air recirculation mode .................. 192
Air conditioning............................. 194
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 195
Automatic climate control (CLK 500) . 196
Deactivating the
automatic climate control system. 199
Operating the automatic
climate control system in
automatic mode ............................ 199
Setting the temperature................ 200
Adjusting air distribution............... 201
Adjusting air volume ..................... 201
Front defroster.............................. 202
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 202
Air recirculation mode .................. 203
Charcoal filter ............................... 204
Air conditioning............................. 206
Residual heat and ventilation*
(Canada only) ................................ 207Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents ...................... 208
Audio system...................................... 209
Audio and telephone*, operation .. 209
Operating safety ........................... 209
Operating and display elements ... 210
Button and soft key operation ...... 212
Operation...................................... 212
Radio operation ............................ 216
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) ..................................... 220
CD mode....................................... 225
GSM network phones ................... 231
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 238
Emergency calls “911” ................. 244
Power windows .................................. 246
Opening and
closing the windows ..................... 246
Synchronizing power windows ...... 248
Summer opening feature .............. 249
Convenience closing feature......... 250
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ................ 251
Opening and closing
the power tilt/sliding sunroof ....... 251
Synchronizing
the power tilt/sliding sunroof ....... 253
23 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Steering wheel gearshift
buttons (CLK 500 only)
178
2
Combination switch
Turn signals
Windshield wipers
High beam
53
53
52
3
Cruise control lever
254
4
Multifunction steering
wheel
26,
144
5
Instrument cluster
24,
140
6
Starter switch
34
7
Front Parktronic* warning
indicator (Canada only)
258
8
Overhead control panel
29
Item
Page
9
Glove box
269
a
Cup holder
273
b
Center console
27, 28
c
Hood lock release
308
d
Horn
e
Steering wheel adjustment
stalk
41
f
Parking brake pedal
50
g
Door control panel
30
h
Parking brake release
50
j
Exterior lamp switch
52,
131
k
Exterior rear view mirror ad-
justment
43
l
Headlamp washer switch*
180
29 At a glance
Overhead control panel
Overhead control panel
Item
Page
1
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) button
279
2
Rear interior lighting on/off
139
3
Temperature sensor for au-
tomatic climate control
4
Power tilt/sliding sunroof*
251
5
Right reading lamp on/off
139
6
Interior lighting control
138
7
Hands-free microphone for
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) and telephone*
278
8
Interior rear view mirror
43,
180
9
Garage door opener*
287
a
Left reading lamp on/off
139
37 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
SeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat back and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer
is in a nearly upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 45).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch, or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the power seats
can be operated when the respective door is
open. Therefore, do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 74).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
38 Getting startedAdjustingSeat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the respective door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Seat fore and aft adjustment
5Backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
or
Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press switch forward or backward in
the direction of arrow4.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far to the rear
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.Seat height
Press switch up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow2.
Seat cushion tilt
Press switch up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Press switch forward or backward in
the direction of arrow5 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
Head restraint height
Press switch up or down in the direc-
tion of arrow1.
iThe memory function (
page 128) lets
you store the settings for the seat posi-
tion together with the settings for the
steering wheel and the exterior rear
view mirrors.
!When moving the seat, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
41 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the lower left of steering
column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
or
Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk forward or back in direction
of arrow 1 until a comfortable steer-
ing wheel position is reached with your
arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down
Move stalk up or down in direction of
arrow 2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and all the displays (including malfunc-
tion and indicator lamps) on the
instrument cluster are clearly visible.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the starter
switch, or the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle, the steering
wheel adjustment feature can be operated
when the driver’s door is open. Therefore,
do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
iThe memory function (
page 128) lets
you store settings for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
exterior rear view mirrors and the seat
position.
43 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 180).
Exterior rear view mirrors
iIf the current position for the steering
wheel is in the uppermost tilt position,
the steering wheel will no longer be
able to move upward when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
Repositioning of the steering wheel:
will be halted briefly when you start
the vehicle.
will stop if you start the vehicle and
set off immediately.
Warning!
G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in
motion. All steering wheel adjustment must
be completed before setting the vehicle in
motion. Driving off with the steering wheel
still adjusting could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass
breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.